Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-14
WONDERFUL LONGEVITY.
The LIFE Preserving Influence ofwise Regi-
men and Abstemious Habits.

The Life- Preserving lnnuenco OF wise hegl-
men and Abstemious Habits.
The common idea is, that longevity
depends entirely on inherited constitu-
ton. The man whose father and
mother. grandparents and great-grand-
parents attained high average age is
supposed to have a much better chance
of long life than one whose forefathers
have been short-lived. Probably there
is much truth in this idea; but it is not
improbable. aud the point seems worth
careful study, that longevity Is affected
indirectly rather than directly by in
heritanee. 1t may well be that the
descendant of long-liyed folk is apt to be
long lived, not solely or chiefly because
he inherits constitutional peculiarities
tending to length Of life. but because
he iDherits qualities leading to temper
ance and abstinence by which life is
prolonged, or even simply because
temperance and abstinence have been
encouraged during his youth by ex-
ample and by precept
Considering the question Of longevity
from this point of view, the case Of
Louis Cornaro, which has always been
thought most instructive, becomes full
also Of encouragement.
In the first place, it must be remem-
bered that Cornaro (who was born at
Venice about the year 1467) was man
Of weak constitution. Moreover, from
the age Of eighteen to that of thirty-fve
he pursued courses that would have
seriously taxed the strongest constitu-
ton. Life at thirty-fve was a burden
to him because of the disorders brought
on by riotous living and indulgence in
every kind of excess. The next five
years were passed in almost unremitted
suffering. He was told by his ply
sicians, when forty years old, that moth
ing could prolong his life for more than
two or three years, but such life as re-
mained to him might be less painful
than the years he had recently lived il
ho would adopt more temperate habits.
If ever there was a case where inherited
constitution and an intemperate life
threatened an early death. this was
one. But, as events befell, it turned
out that, II ever there was case where
life-preserving influence of wise regi-
men and abstemious habits was demon
strated. Cornaro's mnst be cited as es-
pecially significant. v
At the age Of forty Cornaro began
gradually to reduce the quantity of
food, both liquid and solid, which he
took each day, till at length he only
took what nature absolutely required.
He tells us that at first he found this
severe regimen very disagreeble, and
confesses that "he relapsed from time
to time to the fiesh-pots Of Egypt"
But by rosuming his efforts after each
failure he succeeded, in less than a
year, in adopting permanently a spare
and moderate system. by this time he
was already restored to perfect health.
But thus far he had only followed tho
counsels of the physicians somewhat
more steadily than they expected, or
than is usual in such cases, and there
fore with unexpected good results. 1t
was after he had recovered his health
that he went on to those experiments
by which he seemed to show how life
may be extended far beyond the Psal-
mist's allowance.
From temperance he proceeded to
abstemiousness. Undeterred by the
doubts of his physicians as to the wis
dom of such course, he diminished
his daily allowance of food, until at last
the yelk of an egg sufiiced him for a
meall Throughout the time when he
was thus reducing his allowance of food
his health and spirits kept improving.
Nay, he tells us that even his enjoy